Report: Tottenham in hot pursuit of top prospect who ‘plays like a 30-year-old’

Tottenham and Liverpool are both on the transfer trail for Stevenage youngster Ben Wilmot, according to a report.

The Daily Mail claim on their website that the Premier League giants are among a host of clubs interested in snapping up the 18-year-old centre back this season, with 30 scouts said to have attended the EFL Trophy clash with Brighton earlier this month.

That outing was just the second senior appearance of his career, but has already been impressing both his own manager and scouts from other clubs, with boss Darren Sarll stating that “he plays like a 30-year-old, he’s got a wonderful, mature outlook on the game.”

He has been on the bench for the club’s last four league games, and signed his first professional deal back in April after having broken through the youth ranks.

Football Insider verdict

It is always difficult to judge whether a young player has what it takes to compete at the very top, which is why scouts play such a crucial role in sourcing talent. However even they will have very little to go on considering his lack of game time for the senior side, and as such Stevenage can expect to see more and more talent spotters at their games in the coming weeks and months. Tottenham have a reputation of developing the best young English talent in recent years, while Liverpool are probably not far behind, so they will both be battling it out for the youngster if they feel he has the potential.